Ravinia 2024 Issue 1

PLAYING IN AN ORCHESTRA is, essentially, a team sport, one that many fledgling musicians dream about. But unlike baseball or soccer, it requires hours of solitary practice before “team play” begins. Sometimes trying to learn an instrument and performing only occasion- ally with local classmates can feel like a lonely slog. Budding athletes can plug into a vast network of local, regional, and national sports competitions, meets, and work- shops that keep them excited about their sport. Little on that scale exists for young musicians. Marin Alsop, Ravinia’s Chief Conductor, is deeply invested in providing the sup- port—and camaraderie—children need to stay interested in orchestral learning and careers. This summer, she presides over the second National Seminario Ravinia, a four-day immersion in orchestral music for 130 students aged 11 to 18. Starting July 7, the kids will rehearse repertoire for a concert July 10 conducted Alsop and Jessica Al- tarriba, Seminario’s lead conductor. Among other works, they will perform Sibelius’s Finlandia side-by-side with pre-professionals in their 20s from the National Orches- tral Institute + Festival. Alsop has been artistic director of the NOI+F, founded at the University of Maryland in 1987, since 2020. BYWYNNE DELACOMA From Seminario to Space, Marin Alsop’s Soaring Summer Suite DREAM TEAM RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 7 – JUNE 30, 2024 12 KYLEDUNLEAVY/RAVINIA